There's a Reason Why Cranberry Sauce Cans are Upside Down

Let's be honest: We're already pumped for Thanksgiving. In just a month, dinner tables across the country will become veritable smorgasbords of turkey, stuffing, and, of course, pumpkin everything. And aside from some concerning fall-flavored creations, these staples are otherwise straightforward. No mysteries on T-day, right?

Wrong! While oft-forgotten, cranberry sauce (or every table's most confusing side) has quite the secret up its sleeve. The gelatinous, red ribbed log is sold in upside down cans. If you've never noticed, we don't blame you. It seems like a little mistake, just something you notice in passing and then forget about. But actually, it's a full blown conspiracy. Go to any grocery store and every last can will be upside down.

Just to be sure, we did some investigating. At a local grocery store, we found that all the cranberry sauce cans were sold exactly the same way: With the label facing upward toward the bumpy bottom part—the side that can't be opened with a can-opener.

As you can see, of the three available cans (store-brand, name-brand, and organic) none of them were exempt from this manufacturing quirk. But why? With no answer readily available, it was clear the great cranberry can caper was far from settled. We were going to have to do some more digging.

After skimming the internet to no avail, we went directly to the source. A representative at Ocean Spray—who didn't totally see the magnitude behind our can-related confusion—explained that there's a totally logical reason behind this anomaly: The rounded end of the can is filled with an air bubble vacuum, which makes it easier to get the sauce out.

To activate the vacuum, you simply insert a flat knife between the can and the jelly. This allows air to reach through to the bubble, and, in turn, push the contents out. What that means is the rounded end isn't actually the bottom and the cans aren't actually upside down. They're just differently designed cans. Myth busted!

OK, so that's not as exciting as the history behind straw-shaped McFlurry spoons. But, if nothing else, this fun fact will be a great Thanksgiving party trick.

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